An adsorption heat exchanger is hitherto known which has an adsorbent carried on the surfaces of its fins and heat exchanger tube, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This Patent Document 1 also discloses a dehumidifier using two adsorption heat exchangers. The dehumidifier supplies cooling water cooled in a cooling tower to the adsorption heat exchanger in adsorption phase and supplies hot water from a hot heat source to the other adsorption heat exchanger in regeneration phase. The dehumidifier alternately repeats a mode in which the first adsorption heat exchanger is in adsorption phase and the second adsorption heat exchanger is in regeneration phase and a mode in which the first adsorption heat exchanger is in regeneration phase and the second adsorption heat exchanger is in adsorption phase. Thus, the dehumidifier dehumidifies air in the adsorption heat exchanger in adsorption phase and regenerates the adsorbent in the adsorption heat exchanger in regeneration phase.
The behavior of the dehumidifier is described taking as an example a state where cooling water is supplied to the first adsorption heat exchanger and hot water is supplied to the second adsorption heat exchanger. The air passing through the first adsorption heat exchanger passes moisture to the adsorbent in the course of passage through between the fins and is thereby dehumidified. The cooling water flowing through the heat exchange tube of the first adsorption heat exchanger takes heat of adsorption produced when moisture in the air is adsorbed on the adsorbent. On the other hand, in the second adsorption heat exchanger, the hot water flowing through the heat exchange tube heats the adsorbent and the air passing through between the fins. Further, in the second adsorption heat exchanger, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent and the desorbed moisture is applied to the air passing through between the fins.
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Patent Application No. H07-265649